Many people believe the best time to re-shop their auto insurance policy is within 30 days of their renewal – and they aren’t necessarily wrong. This is a popular time to shop because there will be no, or very minimal, cancellation fees to switch providers.

That said, there are a few things you can do that should motivate you even more to re-shop your policy, regardless of how many months are left on your current policy.

SPOILER ALERT – they all lead to discounts to save you money on your car insurance!

Be Claims Free

The longer you go without an at-fault claim, the more comfortable an insurance company will feel about taking you on as a customer.

The majority of insurers will offer a claims-free discount after you’ve gone six years without an at-fault accident.

If you’ve gone six or more years without an accident, it’s a great idea to see how friendly the market reacts to your great driving record. Typically, a claims-free discount will be 10-15%.

Be Convictions Free

This relates to traffic tickets. Just as more tickets will mean higher insurance rates, less – or no – tickets will result in lower insurance rates.

If you’ve gone three or more years without a traffic ticket, you’re eligible for a convictions-free discount. Typically, a convictions-free discount will be 5-10%.

NOTE: photo radar and parking tickets do not count as traffic tickets.

Have Good Credit

If your credit score is 650 and above, you’re eligible for a good credit discount.

Along with being a good driver, insurers want customers who always pay their bills. Typically, a good credit discount will be 20-40%. Yes, the highest discount you can get for auto insurance has to do with your credit and not your driving ability.

If your credit isn’t where you’d like it to be, and you’re looking for ways to improve it, here are five ways to help.

The best time to re-shop your car insurance policy is when you’ve had at least three years of clean driving on your record and/or when you have a good credit score.

You can choose to wait until your policy is up for renewal or, in many cases, you can save enough that it’s still in your best interest to switch and pay the cancellation fees.

Spend 5-10 minutes and see for yourself.